A Pennsylvania resident has been sentenced to 21 years in prison after being found guilty of leading a large-scale drug trafficking organization in Johnstown.
John Christopher Bisbee, a 44-year-old resident of Erie, has been sentenced for his involvement in a conspiracy to distribute and possess over 500 grams of methamphetamine. This illegal operation, led by Bisbee, spanned from July 2019 to June 2020 and operated in both Erie and New York. Bisbee played a key role in acquiring significant quantities of methamphetamine and distributing them to various individuals.
In addition to obtaining methamphetamine from Atlanta, he took on the role of packaging and selling numerous kilograms of the drug to various individuals. Bisbee also confessed to engaging in money laundering activities by utilizing the proceeds from drug sales to purchase real estate in the Erie area. As part of his plea agreement, Bisbee has agreed to surrender more than $300,000 worth of cash and jewelry.
During the search, law enforcement discovered two handguns and over 100 rounds of ammunition in his possession, which he was prohibited from having due to his past felony convictions. His accomplice, Alexis Brolin, was sentenced to 17 years in prison earlier this year for operating a drug trafficking ring in Clearfield and the surrounding regions.
“John Bisbee was a major methamphetamine trafficker in the Erie area whose network stretched across northwestern and central Pennsylvania and into New York,” U.S. Attorney Olshan said. “Drugs and firearms are too often a deadly combination in our communities, and today’s 21-year sentence—along with Alexis Brolin’s recent 17-year sentence—reflect our collective resolve at all levels of law enforcement to pursue the most dangerous offenders in this district with the full weight of federal law.”
“Bisbee received a severe sentence in federal prison for leading a large-scale methamphetamine trafficking organization,” Thomas Hodnett, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Philadelphia Field Division said. “This investigation exemplifies how collaboration with our law enforcement partners safeguards our communities against criminal organizations.”